The Paradigm Realization
by mphs95
Summary: Shamy are at a crossroads as Sheldon takes off to figure out his life. Amy decides to not only accept a summer position out of state but also debates whether she wants to be with Sheldon. How does he cope with the fact that he has a real chance of losing the only person he considers his equal? Can the gang and family help? Rated M for possible future smut and strong language.
1. Chapter 1

**_A/N: Hello folks. This is my first Big Bang Theory fanfiction. I'm a big Shamy fan and I hope I do them justice. _****I may go OOC on occasion but I try to stick w/ storylines as much as possible. ****_Let me know what you think._**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Big Bang Theory. I just like to take them out to play once in a while.**

* * *

_The young man sat looking out at Gulf of Mexico from the windows of the suite. The stress and excitement of the last several hours were ebbing away as the high strung young man was feeling…..relaxed._

_Yes, relaxed. He realized during the chaos of the last several months how much he had grown. Who would have imagined that he would be here now thanks to the Big Bang Theory of all things?_

_Knowing he wouldn't be able to go back to sleep anytime soon, he got comfortable as he thought back to the beginning….._

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The train flew through the Arizona desert. Usually Sheldon was bouncing with excitement when on a train no matter what the time was, but not this time.

He was on the train not three minutes after he left when he realized he never said goodbye to Amy. He called her later to check in. She sounded all right, but even he could hear the pain in her voice. He screwed up, but he didn't know what to do.

He called her later that night multiple times, but after a few rings each went to voice mail. The realization of it hit him like a ton of bricks.

_'She's screening my calls'_

Even Sheldon knew what that meant and it wasn't good for him.

* * *

The next day the train arrived in Albuquerque. He was there one hour and became bored as all get out. He changed trains as he decided he wanted to avoid Texas. Two days later, the train reached Vicksburg, Mississippi. In spite of himself, he did enjoy the history of the city. In Huntsville, he visited the US Space and Rocket Center and screamed with delight as he rode the Space Shot, but he vowed never to tell Wolowicz. At each stop, he always picked up a souvenir or two, one always involving a monkey. When he got to Tallahassee, he purposely got out long enough to stretch his legs and go back as Florida was nothing more than a cesspool of flash and tourism. To kill time, he went online and downloaded songs he had heard on his stops. He wasn't sure why, but he just knew he had to have them.

He made several more stops in the South. Two weeks after he left, he arrived in Washington DC and found himself at the National Zoo. Seeing the koalas didn't cheer him up like they always did in the past. However, when he arrived at the monkeys, he felt happiness for a second as they reminded him of his neuroscientist vixen. Every stop after that if there was a zoo, he went to see the monkeys to keep any contact with Amy alive.

He got as far as Maine, even going out onto a whale watching. The place he stayed at overnight recommended he buy another layer of clothing and was glad he took the inn's advice as the temperature dropped over 20 degrees. He kept to himself for that hour on the North Atlantic, but all he could imagine was Amy with him watching the whale blow out of the sea.

The next day, he started south again. He was surprised to get an email from Leonard's mother inviting him to her penthouse in New York City. He debated but decided that a visit could be good. Doctor Beverly Hofstadter was always enjoyable company as their time together was as a meeting of the minds. When he got to Dunham, New Hampshire, he got a ticket for New York City.

It entailed an overnight stop in Boston. He found himself unable to resist a visit to Harvard University. Walking around the campus, he found the buildings Amy had told him about during her time there. He pushed aside the stories she told of being shunned by many of her classmates and focused on his Amy as she studied diligently in her younger days. He found the Mahoney Neuroscience Institute and walked in.

Classes were in session but he wandered down the halls seeing a younger version of Amy everywhere he went doing different things….holding books, wearing a lab coat, listening to a lecture. When he turned down the hall, he saw portraits of graduates from every year. He found Amy's year and when he saw her picture with the caption of first in the class, he almost exploded with love. He saw that they used her legal name of Amelia, which he knew she hated. He didn't understand why as it was a beautiful name, but he respected her choice to be called Amy. When he found out she signed the Relationship Agreement with only Amy, he extolled to her how documents weren't legal with a shortened name. As a compromise, she signed a new Relationship Agreement and any document after that with _'A. Farrah Fowler'._

On another board he saw what seemed to be a wall of fame of selected thesis presentations. He swelled with pride when he saw one from 2002 from an A. Farrah Fowler on the effects of social interaction from pre-frontal cortex damage through the study of rhesus monkeys.

Suddenly, he was hit with a sense of sadness as he realized for the first time what he left behind in Pasadena. She wouldn't talk to him on Skype, but would return his emails. He saw that she was taking a summer position in Michigan at a small university. Why would she leave someplace distinguished to a smaller university who couldn't appreciate her talent? It wasn't even University of Michigan or Michigan State, but for a friend from Harvard who needed the time off. From her email, he knew the friend was a man and it make his mind brainstorm as he looked back at her class group photo. Committing the mens faces to memory, he resolved to find the one she was helping later.

He did wonder about her motives. Did she go north to get distance from him and their life in California? Would she decide she liked the other man and Michigan better and and decide to leave him behind? The final thought terrified him.

He remembered the first email she sent him after he left, where she excoriated him for his sarcastic response to her suggestion about moving in together. She held nothing back as she let him know how much she hurt her. Her words were biting, succinct, and cut right to the bone. He knew that their relationship was on shaky ground but was lost on what to do. How could he be with her when he had no idea on how to function in his life or career?

Suddenly feeling sick to his stomach, he blew it off as something he ate on the train. Walking out of the school, he found the bus stop to take him back to Boston. When he got there, he went to his hotel for the night. The next afternoon after a quick trip through parts of Boston, he set out for the train to take him to Pennsylvania Station. Maybe a few days with Leonard's delightful mother would do him some good towards finding out what to do with his life, not listening to some hippy dippy psychic fraud.

* * *

"Sheldon always wonderful to see you. Leonard tells me you are on a journey of self-discovery. Tell me, how is that going?"

"No major discoveries yet, Doctor Hofstadter. I do thank you for the invitation. It's nice to be with someone such as yourself"

She smiled as she walked closer. "Of course it is. While I prefer Doctor Hofstadter, you are worthy enough to call me Beverly"

Sheldon looked surprised. "My mom always told me to give people the respect they earn. I am just not sure if calling you by your first name does that"

She walked closer. "Please?"

Sheldon smiled. "Okay, Beverly"

"Let me show you to your room"

Beverly headed down the hall with Sheldon following. "So are you still in a relationship with the neurobiologist?"

Sheldon got sad thinking about Amy. "I-I think so. She went to Michigan for the summer to help a colleague"

"I see" she said. "Well, here's where you will stay. When you are settled, would you like to join me for a nightcap?"

"Do you have Yoo Hoo or Strawberry Quik? I don't drink"

"No, but I do keep Coke around for guests"

_'Darn, he wanted the good stuff, but he was always raised to be polite. Plus any chance to talk to Leonard's mother was always exciting'_ Sheldon cleared his throat. "Coke sounds good. Thank you"

"Of course, Sheldon. See you in about an hour"

After Beverly left, Sheldon put his suitcase on the bed. When he opened it, he saw a purchase he made in Alabama, a small statue of a monkey in an astronaut suit. In a moment out of character, he felt his eyes water for moment before sucking it up. _'It's probably from lack of REM sleep from that hard mattress last night'_

An hour later, he came out to the living room where he saw Beverly sipping out of a tumbler. He saw a glass of Coke on the table and sat down. He took a deep drink but spit it out and coughed when he tasted the drink.

"Sheldon!"

"Sorry, Doc-Beverly. I tasted something yucky in here"

"Oh, that's a little Bacardi rum. It seemed you needed something stronger that just a mere soft drink"

Sheldon recovered his faculties after a moment. "I'm sorry, but I don't drink alcohol. I promised my mother I wouldn't do drugs when I left Texas"

He saw Leonard's mother look at him not as Sheldon Cooper, but like a doctor to a patient. For the first time, he had an understanding of what Amy's test subjects went through as she studied them. It scared the crap out of him and he only knew he had to get out of the room immediately. "I'm very tired from my trip, Beverly. If it's not too rude, I am just going to go to bed. Tomorrow morning is Doctor Who on BBC America"

Beverly watched her son's friend move quickly out of the room and felt a moment of frustration. She was not a maternal person, but she did have warm feelings for her children. In her son's roommate, she felt what others would call a kinship.

It was her conversation with her son's intended wife that she found out about young Doctor Cooper's emotional collapse from all the changes in his life during the last few months. Fascinated by this change in the one friend of Leonard's who had promise, she decided to study him personally and give him a diagnosis to improve his life. After all, that is what does for a living, make lesser people better through her knowledge.

From the little conversation that she had with him, she could tell that he missed the neuroscientist desperately. One could say he was even in love with her. _'Fascinating'_ she thought to herself.

Suddenly, she was hit with another moment of emptiness that she felt from time to time. She kept them to herself to ensure that she was never seen as weak. She thought about how her life with her chosen partner was ruined by him giving into emotional needs and seeking companionship with a waitress of all people and now she was alone. She didn't want the same for Sheldon.

_"Oh god, I am all pedestrian and sniveling'_ She thought to herself. Reverting to her clinical mode, she decided that the young man in her apartment should not have to suffer the same humiliation as she. Science needed Sheldon Cooper's mind to advance. Her son needed him in his life so he would not drown in emotional nonsense with his actress girlfriend. Determined to make her mark again, she decided that she would help get Sheldon Cooper back on track. She thought for a moment but then came up with an idea. It was unusual and involved feelings, but she would make it work. The future of science depended on it.

* * *

At two in the morning, Sheldon laid on his back staring at the ceiling. He was frustrated as instead of gaining insight into his troubles, things always somehow ended back to one thing.

_Amy._

Right now, she was in another state, working she said. Another campus far away…..with many young men who may see her beauty and intelligence and appreciate it enough take her away from him.

The more he thought about that, the more he got rattled. He knew that Amy Farrah Fowler was his only equal. In moments of weakness, he would think about the green eyes he could get lost in. He remembered how they turned an interesting shade of emerald green after he kissed her on the train. It scared him more when he realized that he wanted nothing more than to make those eyes do that again. He felt his pants become tight so he tried Kolinahr but it didn't work and he was helpless as his thoughts continued down that forbidden path.

He thought about that shapely rear of hers. He always admired it, but didn't tell anyone. The day he helped her bathe when she was sick, he was a gentleman and turned away when she started to undress. However, he snuck a peek from the corner of his eye and saw the most beautiful thing as she stepped out of her panties. His hands itched to put his hands on those soft mounds and lead her to make the noises she made when he spanked her a day later.

It was for punishment that he spanked her, but deep down, it was a chance to touch that glorious part of her. He didn't spank her long and was barely able to get home before thinking about it again. Kolinahr barely got him through that episode.

Ever since that day, there were random moments when he wanted to do nothing more than to touch and taste. That kiss on the train accelerated those feelings to where he couldn't use Kolinahr anymore. In the last few months, he even had to resort to self-abuse in the shower to calm him down. He heard about how he would, as Penny would say, become _'handsy'_ with Amy when intoxicated. While he pretended that he couldn't remember, it was a lie because it was what he would think about more and more in his sleep.

He saw a sliver of light through his closed eye as his Vulcan hearing could hear his door open and close. A few minutes later, his insides turned to ice as he felt someone brush through his hair with their fingers. When he felt a kiss on his cheek, he lost it.

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHEEEEE!"

Sheldon rolled to the other side of the bed and flicked on the bedside lamp. He observed as his friend's mother was lying on the bed staring at him smiling.

"Wha-wha-what are you doing in here?"

Beverly crawled closer. "I was in bed thinking about my other clinical cases but I kept coming back to you….my lost little lamb. I decided that to help me I need to help you since your girlfriend….girl who is a friend….whatever she is was not around. To do that, I decided that we could mutually satisfy each other and I see I came at the perfect time."

Sheldon sat for a moment confused until he saw where her eyes went. When he realized what she was talking about, his eyes bugged out of his head as his cheeks and ears turned red. In his attempt to cover himself, he fell off the bed. Without missing a beat, he scrunched himself against the wall. "Doctor Hofstadter, that is not acceptable"

She crawled over closer and Sheldon remained frozen hunched back at the wall unable to move. He could smell that stuff he accidentally drank earlier. _'Oh my lord'_ he thought to himself_. 'What do I do?'_

Having no options, he resorted to an old trick. He put two fingers to each side of the temple and attempted to blow up her brain with his mind.

Beverly merely laughed. "Oh, Doctor Cooper. Every neuroscientist has seen that movie. If it was possible, Darwin's theory of survival of the fittest would be the fit of our society right now instead of the unacceptable miscreants that populate our world"

As she got closer, he remembered Amy. "I can't because I love Amy Farrah Fowler and if I'm going to sin I want to with her"

He got the shock of his life when Beverly suddenly stopped and sat up. "Oh good. I was afraid I might have had to actually kiss you"

"What?"

Beverly got off the bed and stood up. "Doctor Cooper, you have one of the most brilliant minds in existence. I know because I've seen the scans. However, when it comes to love, as my future daughter-in-law would say, you're an idiot"

Sheldon's back became straighter as he sat up as much as he could from the floor. "Excuse me, but I am not an idiot!"

"You are. Your life is experiencing change and you are currently on a sabbatical to determine what trajectory your life will go. Instead of using it wisely, you are pouting like one of my test subjects. No, that will not do"

She walked closer. "You have deep feelings for this scientist. I have a great deal of respect for her as I have read her work in _Neuron_. I just wish I could find one for my Leonard, but I have to accept who he has chosen. She does have a few redeeming qualities, like a psyche I can study for decades"

Beverly stopped for a minute as she realized what she was saying. "I apologize as our consultation has gone off track. As I was saying, do you realize what you and Doctor Fowler could accomplish as a united front? Neurobiology and physics could help solve the mysteries of the world if you would only open your eyes to it"

"But—"

"But nothing, Doctor Cooper. You want to find out what to do with your life? Go back to the beginning. Just be quick about it. If you don't move fast enough, Doctor Fowler may find other ways to outlet her talent and it would be detrimental to science and our future."

As she was talking, she made her way to Sheldon until she was in front of him as he continued to sit on the floor. She wanted to try a hug, but she could only get herself as far as giving the younger man a pat on the back. "There there"

After a second, she stopped. "Okay, that's enough pedestrian whininess for one night. I'm a neuroscientist, not your mother. I am working early tomorrow morning, but you have use of the facilities if needed. Good night, Sheldon"

Beverly walked out and shut the door, leaving Sheldon still on the floor in shock. Slowly he got up and got back into bed. He shut out the light before moving to the middle of the bed and pulled the covers to his chin, unsure of what to do.

* * *

The next morning, he rose by six in the morning. He walked up to the television to watch BBC America, but to his shock, he didn't have any interest. Wanting clarity, he quickly packed up and headed back to the train station and took the first train, which was heading for Montreal.

Getting off in Buffalo, he purposely avoided Michigan as he headed south. Amy came back to mind again as he aimlessly stared out the window.

She stated in her last email that she went there for assist a friend, but when she called and elaborated about what she would be doing, it scared him. The fear that she would decide to stay there and never come back to Pasadena sent him in a panic attack more than once as he considered the implications. He screwed up and he knew it.

Suddenly, his head shot up. "I know where to go now"


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N: Okay all I have several chapters in the can so I thought I would give you a bonus. Two chapters in one day. Thanks for the reviews and please keep them coming.**_

**Disclaimer: I don't own Big Bang Theory. I just like to take them out to play once in a while.**

* * *

_The young woman's eyes were closed as she thought back about the previous few hours. Some said it would be all downhill from here, but she preferred to think of it as a reward earned from hard work. Settling in for pleasant dreams, she went over what she considered the ride of her life…._

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The night Sheldon left Pasadena, Amy found herself at her lab at Caltech at three o'clock in the morning. Finding out from Leonard and Penny that her boyfriend left Pasadena with their blessing was upsetting enough, but her anger increased exponentially when she realized that while they got to see Sheldon off, he didn't tell her goodbye. She didn't have a destination in mind when she left 4A, but she knew that she didn't want to talk to anyone.

She looked on her phone and saw that there were five missed calls since that last conversation with Penny and Leonard and Sheldon's call from earlier. Penny called about thirty minutes after she beat Leonard with a pillow and stormed out and around midnight. Sheldon had called three more times, the last at 1 AM. Maybe she should have answered the calls, but she didn't want to talk or see anyone, particularly them at that time. Unable to stop herself, she pushed voice mail and listened to the calls.

_'Ames, it's Penny. I'm so sorry for not getting to you before he left. I'm….I'm just worried after the way you left here. Please call or text me.'_

**_'Amy, it's Sheldon. I just….I just want to make sure you're okay. I left rather in a hurry after Leonard and Penny found me. I will talk to you soon. It's Sheldon'_**

_'Ames, it's me again. You haven't gotten back to me and it's midnight. You're not at home and you've got me scared. Please call me. Be mad at me tomorrow but I want to know you're all right'_

**_'It's Sheldon again. I didn't catch you earlier and I wanted to let you know I think I'm out of California now. I'm going through the South. I know it's usually past your bedtime and mine, but I can't sleep for some reason. Kolinahr isn't helping either and I don't have any Star Trek to watch since I don't have wireless on the train. Have a good night. It's Sheldon'_**

**_ 'Amy, it's one o'clock in the morning and I can't sleep. I tried singing 'Soft Kitty' but it didn't work. I hope to talk to you soon. I don't know anyone else on the train and some of them are most unpleasant to look at and are just plain dumb. I'm sorry for what I said to you earlier that night about the future. Good night. It's Sheldon'_**

Tears fell as she deleted Penny's messages. She was usually very efficient at keeping her mailbox cleaned out, but when she got to Sheldon's messages, she couldn't do it. Quickly wiping her tears, she put her phone down and went back to what she was working on.

She examined the tumor smear under the microscope for several minutes, but she realized she was getting nowhere. She got up and went back to her desk, where she re-read the letter she received before leaving work earlier. She meant to talk to him about it, but her intentions were derailed by Sheldon's meltdown. Her phone buzzed and she saw it was a message from Penny.

**_Ames outside lab. need 2 talk. Plz let in._**

She briefly considered ignoring the text, but then realized the time and that leaving someone outside alone wasn't a good idea, so she left the lab. She walked around the building until she got to the front door and saw Penny standing out there. Moving quickly, she got to the door and opened it. When Penny walked in, the two took the short walk back to the lab.

"Penny, what are you doing here?"

Penny saw the pain in her friend's eyes and felt worse knowing she was part of the reason it was there. "What am I doing here? What are you doing here? It's the middle of the night"

"I'm aware of that"

"Sweetie I've tried calling you. I was worried sick after you left"

"I am aware of that also. I'm sorry you were worried, but I just didn't feel like talking to you at this time. I still don't."

Penny felt the sting of Amy's words. "Ames, I'm so sorry. He didn't say anything to us, either. The fact that we found him was luck because of his phone. Please forgive us"

The two walked into Amy's lab. Amy knew her friend didn't mean to hurt her, but her emotions were still fresh. "Maybe later, Penny, but not now"

Penny took comfort hearing that and she realized her first question was not answered. "Sweetie, you have most of your notes at home. Why did you really come here?"

Amy looked at the woman she considered her bestie and felt more pain. "I needed to think without distraction"

Penny felt a sense of dread. "About what, Honey?"

Amy pulled the letter from her desk and showed Penny what she was reading. She watched as her friend's eyes grew wide.

"You're going to Michigan? Permanently? Does Sheldon know?"

"It's a thought and no he doesn't, not yet. He called three times, but I just wasn't up to hearing from him again after his perfunctory phone call."

Penny just sat down on a stool. "I'm so sorry that we didn't call you, but please don't leave us"

"As tempting as it may be at this time, it's not permanent. Central Michigan University asked me to be a guest lecturer for the summer semester. A friend of mine from school teaches in the Neuroscience program but his wife is sick so he is taking a sabbatical and recommended me for the position since my study is completed here"

"Amy….."

"It's a smaller university than I am used to, but any opportunity to encourage students, particularly women into this field is a must. It's an excellent program. Michigan is supposed to be nice during the summer….."

"It's hot as hell, Amy. My family took a vacation there to Mackinac Island one July and we almost baked to death. My parents figured it was colder since it was north of Nebraska. We were wrong. The winters suck too"

"I'm sure it will be hot in California, too and I don't plan on spending a winter there. I need some time away from here, Penny" Amy considered her words before speaking. "Sheldon has been part of my life for four years now. They have been the greatest and the worst. I've given him so much of me, but I have to also think about myself for a change"

Amy wiped a solitary tear away. "He's trying, Penny, I know, but I'm 32 years old. I want a committed relationship, a full one. For years I closed myself for fear of getting hurt after all I went through growing up, but Sheldon Cooper snuck in when I was least expecting it, as did my friendships with you and everyone else. After the experiences I have had from meeting him, I realize that I would like a husband…..a family. I want that with him. I don't want to be alone again, but I can't give anymore without something in return. I can't keep taking the occasional crumb he gives me, so I hope he finds what he is looking for, but I am not going to put my life on hold either."

She inhaled then continued. "I am also debating how beneficial you are to me. You're my bestie, but sometimes I wonder if your loyalty is only to Sheldon or if you even take my feelings in consideration"

Penny listened to her friend and realized with a sick feeling to her stomach that she was right. Amy was the one doing most of the giving in her relationship with Sheldon. He had grown during his time with Amy, but after listening to the neuroscientist pour her heart out, to say that she was emotionally exhausted was being kind. She realized that while usually sticking up for Amy, sometimes she wasn't always the best friend to her with her pushing Sheldon instead of considering her feelings more. While the other woman occasionally creeped her out still, Amy always had her back, so she was going to do the same.

"You're right, Amy…absolutely right. I honestly feel that you and Sheldon are endgame, but I might have sometimes put my wishes ahead of your feelings. For that, I'm so sorry. Maybe being apart for a while would be good for you both"

Amy relaxed visibly when she heard Penny giving her support. Maybe that forgiveness will be there sooner than expected. "Penny, I'm still angry with you for tonight, but your intentions were good, they usually are. We'll be okay, but you need to give me some space"

She saw the visible relief on the blonde's face and knew she made the right decision.

"Can I hug you, Ames?" When the scientist nodded, Penny grabbed her and hugged, realizing for the first time how much Amy meant to her as a friend and how much she feared her not forgiving her. After a moment, she let go. "I have one question"

"Of course"

"Can Bernie, Emily, and I visit you sometime this summer? Maybe we can road trip to Mackinac Island? It may not hot as hell."

Amy laughed for the first time tonight. "Of course. You're my bestie"

* * *

One week later, Amy arrived at the train station in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She knew it was more practical to fly, but before she could stop herself, she booked a train trip with a stop in Galveston, Texas. She knew the reason why was to see if she could get a glimpse of him in spite of herself.

She was excited at the opportunity that lies ahead of her. The program where Steve taught was a burgeoning one and the fact that he asked her to assist him at his time of need was flattering. It was also a good way for her to keep busy while she debated on her relationship with Sheldon.

"Amy!"

She turned and saw her old friend. They reached each other and hugged. "Amy, thank you so much for helping me this summer"

"Anything for you. How's your wife?"

"As well as can be expected. The chemo is taking a lot out of her. Her sister is staying with her tonight while I get you up to CMU and help you get settled."

"So where is Mount Pleasant from here?"

"About two hours north. I'm leaving you my wife's car so you can get around. My brother is meeting us there later tonight so I can get back"

"I can rent a car, Steve"

"No, I insist. We're not going to need it for a while anyway. Besides anything I can do to make your life easier while you are here. I know you have a lot going on right now"

Sheldon popped back in her head. Not wanting to burden her friend any further, she pushed her sadness down. "Okay, but only if you let me buy you dinner"

"Fair enough"

The two scientists got in the car and drove onto US-23. Almost two hours later, they arrived in town. They drove to a beautiful neighborhood near the campus and arrived at the house. After getting settled in, the two went to a nearby Bennigan's for dinner. Drinks and appetizers were spent playing catch up. Dinner conversation was about his wife, who Amy found out was battling breast cancer. It was near the end that the subject changed.

"Amy, I get the feeling you are not just here to help me out. Does this involve your boyfriend the physicist?"

Amy hesitated for a moment while she debated on what to talk about. "We're moving at two different speeds in our relationship. He's working hard to overcome his issues, but I don't know how much longer I can be patient. He's been through a lot of changes recently and that is something that he doesn't do well." Realizing she had said more than intended, she decided that she needed to be alone. "I'm getting tired, Steven. Can we check out where my office will be? I forgot about the time difference here"

He knew when a subject was closed. "Sure"

* * *

Her first two weeks were busy as she got herself adjusted to the time change, immersed in the program offered, and got herself situated on campus. After coming up with an office schedule for the students, she scheduled her twice weekly lectures and finally got herself into a pattern.

One night, Amy was on her laptop surfing the net when she realized that she kept going back to journals featuring physics. "Ugh!" She muttered to herself. "I took a break from writing my next lecture to get Sheldon off my mind and what do I do? Stalk Sheldon websites. I'm so pathetic"

Amy sat back on the couch feeling defeated. She was trying to examine her relationship with Sheldon in a clinical manner, but it was difficult as she kept going back to her heart. She had it locked away for so many years to protect herself from disappointment and rejection. Now, she was screwed.

She thought of all those years growing up when she was taunted for being smart, for being a dork. Being called Gorilla Fingers after the prank with the hand lotion. Her crush asking her to Prom only to stand her up. Opening herself up only brought her pain.

When she met Sheldon Cooper she was excited because he felt the same way about relationships and friendship. They had an association of the mind that she found very stimulating. When they broke up three years ago, it hurt more than she wanted to let on, but hearing about Sheldon and his clowder of cats melted the ice around her heart a little more.

Thanks to Sheldon and his friends, she also met Penny and Bernadette. She remembered how she was about Penny in the beginning and felt very guilty, but seeing the beautiful blonde was a reminder of her younger days. Over time, she saw that there was more to the girl in 4B. Bernadette was another science person who also made her feel accepted and made her realize how much she craved emotional attachments.

There were rough patches along the way, like when the ladies went dress shopping one day without her. Making her maid of honor helped bridge the gap that created. Eventually, Penny sat her down when it was the two of them and explained why they did it. She didn't realize how uncomfortable she made her bestie sometimes and hearing the truth hurt. In the end, she realized that Penny and Bernadette wanted to be her friends and showed their feelings by being honest with her. She still spoke things that were not appropriate at times, but over time she got a better understanding of when to keep things to herself. Thanks to these two ladies, she began to relax into the paradigm of friendship. Emily was someone she liked getting to know also and she was glad Rajesh was able to find someone.

Her thoughts drifted back to her boyfriend. Over time, Sheldon began to relax a little at a time, but every time she thought he would give himself to her, he always retreated into rationalism. When he kissed her on Valentine's Day, something shifted. It was in the heat of the moment and it shocked the hell out of her. However, she wasn't that much off as she didn't miss how he moved in for the kiss, how he touched her waist, and gently brought both of them into the kiss. She remembered how the calm blue of his eyes turned into a storm of darkness and his pupils dilated. When he asked her to accompany him to the conductor, she was so excited because he never asked her to be that involved in a love of his. The closest before was going with him to the comic book store, but she was merely his guest.

She had to give him credit as she noted over those last few weeks how his kisses after date night would last longer, how he always tried to make more time to have lunch with her in her lab as opposed to the cafeteria with his friends, and how he would hold her hand more without looking like he was about to jump out of his skin.

She knew she hurt him when he found out she lied about being sick that Thursday. He hid his sadness, but she saw it in his eyes, but she just needed a break for a while from his misery about string theory. She also noted that he seemed to distance himself a bit after he went out with Penny that night. After Penny told her what the psychic said, it was just only one more chink in their relationship.

It took Sheldon openly mocking her dreams of a family and marriage to finally break her. When he left an apology for what he said after he left, she let loose in an email as she was not up to seeing him at that time. Years of frustration flowed as she purged herself to her boyfriend. She emailed him to let him know she arrived in Michigan and would give him updates on her classes and activities while at CMU, but that was it.

Next week there was two weeks in between the summer sessions at the university and she realized what she needed. Getting her phone, she sent a text to Penny, Bernadette, and Emily.

She needed her friends.


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N: Thanks for all the great reviews. I do have several more chapters coming and I hope I do this couple justice. I feel the Shamy are endgame and think to see them married on the show would be hysterical, but not until Season 9 or beginning Season 10.**_

**Disclaimer: I don't own Big Bang Theory, but like to take the characters out to play sometimes.**

* * *

Two days later, Amy stood barely able to contain herself at Capital City Airport in Lansing. Thanks to the school schedule she created, she had almost two weeks off to do whatever with her friends. When she saw them, she ran screaming in excitement.

Bernadette, Penny, and Emily screamed back as they ran to Amy as the four hugged each other excitedly. After a few minutes, Amy helped the others grab their luggage and they walked to her car. Soon they were on I-69 heading north.

"So Amy, how are you liking it here in corn country?" Emily joked

"Don't joke about corn country, Emily. I grew up in that shit for years before moving to California" Penny said

"It's actually pretty nice here, Em, but I am missing home"

"So have you talked to Sheldon on Skype or on the phone?" Penny said

Amy thought about her answer. "No, not since the last call when I gave him an update on what I was doing here. We have exchanged a few emails though."

"Do you know what you are going to do?" Bernie said

"No and I am not going to think about now. Right now I have my friends visiting me from across the country and I want to chill with my homies tonight before we road trip up north"

"I've heard Mackinac Island is really cool. Is it true that there are no cars?" Bernadette asked.

"Yep" Penny said. "It was pretty fun when I was younger, except that it was almost 100 degrees and my mom complained. All I can say is the fudge is...orgasmic. Best around."

"So I hear the beaches in Michigan are nice" Emily said. "I brought two of my bikinis"

"Emily!" Amy said jokingly. "You're with Rajesh. Don't forget we're not going to just the beach"

"Hey I still like looking good" Emily said. "Of course, I can't wait for Old Mission Peninsula. Wine country here we come!"

The ladies laughed as they headed north.

When they reached Mount Pleasant a little over an hour later, the girls dropped their stuff off before Amy took her friends for a quick tour of the town. For dinner, she introduced them to Italian Oven, which all the girls agreed was better than any Italian they had back home. That night was spent with two shared bottles of wine and girl talk.

As Amy laid down to a sleep filled with a comfortable buzz thanks to Mr. Riesling, she relaxed. Being with her friends was exactly what she needed to take her mind of Sheldon for a while...wherever he was.

* * *

The next day, the girls debated on what to do. Penny had an idea. "Ladies, let's have a girl day where we go shopping for our trip tomorrow and get makeovers"

Amy was hesitant. "I don't know, Penny"

Penny sat in front of her friend. "I'm not saying anything drastic. Maybe a new hairstyle or some new clothes. You have beautiful eyes. Have you ever thought about contact lenses?"

"On and off. I guess I'm not a big fan of change"

"Amy, you have had some upheaval in life and need to shake things up. I'm getting married and I need some stuff. Bernie, you were talking about changing your hair for the summer"

"Yeah I was. Thought about getting contacts too."

Emily spoke up. "I have to admit, I wouldn't mind changing my hair for a bit. I know Raj likes my hair long, but my hair is such a pain at times, especially when it falls down while I am working with a patient"

Penny spoke up. "That does it. Amy, where's the biggest city here with stuff?"

"Here. There is an Aveda spa salon in town. The closest malls are in Midland and Saginaw. There are a couple major ones in Grand Rapids and Auburn Hills."

"Perfect. Now girls, let's get ready"

The girls got up and quickly showered and dressed. One hour later, all four were standing at the front door. Penny took charge. "Okay ladies, make sure we have the necessities_. Phones_"

"Check"

_"Cash"_

"Check"

_"IDs for wine with our lunch and dinner?"_

"Check" the girls said with enthusiasm.

_"Most importantly, credit cards"_

"CHECK!"

"All right" Penny said. "Ames, lead the way to the salon. You said they could get all four of us in?"

"They did"

"What are we waiting for?" Emily said. "We need to look hot and new clothes to go up north tomorrow"

All four women ran out to Amy's car after locking the door and took for their adventure.

* * *

Ten hours later, the girls returned from Saginaw tired but excited. Penny got her hair layered and was excited about the jewelry she got for her wedding. She didn't find any wedding dresses she liked, but after the girls returned from their trip, there were a couple stores in nearby Bay City they were going to try. She knew she should have waited for the necklace and earrings, but they were perfect and knew her dress had to go with those.

Emily was excited about the new bikini she bought. She had Bernie take a picture of her trying it on and send it to Raj, who only responded with an 'OMG!'

Bernie checked herself through the top passenger side mirror. There wasn't a major change, but she did get some layers put in. The big change was in her eyes, where she was adjusting to contact lenses. She would probably still usually wear glasses, but she liked the change and knew Howie loved her eyes. Later tonight, she would send a picture of what she bought at Victoria's Secret.

Amy quickly felt her hair through the rear view mirror. They took off four inches so it skimmed her shoulders, similar to the length it was when she met Sheldon and the girls. There were layers, but it stayed true to what she wanted. Tomorrow she was going to wear her hair with a clip like Penny did sometimes. With the shorter hair, Penny said it would look hot when it flipped over the clip. She also found a couple of new skirts and blouses for work. Maybe a small updating of her wardrobe wouldn't be so bad.

She moved her hand to push up her glasses but met nothing before she realized she had her contacts in. She had to admit she loved wearing her new non-prescription sunglasses driving home. She knew that Sheldon liked her glasses, but she remembered how he always lingered on her eyes on the rare occasion she wasn't wearing them.

_'Damn it'_ she thought to herself. _'She didn't do all this for him' _Pushing her feelings down, she grabbed her bags of purchases she made, including the bikini the girls said looked hot on her and followed the others into the house.

* * *

The girls left Mount Pleasant the following morning to drive up north. They had two days planned to stay in St. Ignace since none of them had been to the Upper Peninsula. This would be followed by an overnight stay at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island with their trip concluding with two days in Traverse City and hitting the Old Mission and Leelanau Peninsulas for Michigan wine.

They reached their destination by early afternoon, excited that they got to cross the Mighty Mac. After checking in at their bed and breakfast, they walked around and explored the small town. They found time to go to Castle Rock, where they loved their clear view they had of Lake Huron and Mackinac Island, including the Governor's Mansion and the Grand Hotel. Before they left, they bought souvenirs. Without thinking, Amy saw a stuffed koala with a Castle Rock shirt on. Before she could change her mind, she bought it for Sheldon.

The girls went to dinner at a restaurant across from where they were staying where they drank wine, ate, and had fun together. After dinner, they went to the beach and saw the bridge when it was lit up at night and were in awe. Eventually, they walked themselves back to their lodging and went off to their respective rooms. Penny and Amy shared a room and Emily bunked with Bernadette.

The next day, they crossed the bridge again to visit Mackinaw City. After a quick lunch on the main drag, the girls ran towards the beach. They were smart to go during the week when the beaches weren't as congested. The weather was 75 degrees and sunny.

The girls were each on their own towels enjoying their sun. Penny was putting more sunscreen while she was thinking about Amy and Sheldon.

They belonged together. She still felt that they each needed this time away from each other. Sheldon needed to get over himself and Amy needed something not part of him for herself. But she was afraid when Amy said they hadn't talked to each other besides emails. She checked their Twitter and Facebook pages and neither had sent messages to the other publicly. If either sent the other private messages, Sheldon and Amy weren't talking.

She checked in with Sheldon from time to time. Whenever she asked how he was he would give her a canned response, but she knew Sheldon and he was hurting as much as Amy was, if not more. She just hoped he got his shit together before it was too late.

She looked around the beach and noticed a guy most definitely checking out Amy. She recognized him as someone who worked at the restaurant they went to the night before. She was wearing the bikini the girls talked her into buying. It was emerald green and showed off her curves perfectly. She was totally into Leonard but she felt comfortable enough admitting Amy had a smoking body and hiding it under all those layers was just plain stupid.

Suddenly an idea came to mind. It was bad and wrong, but it just might get the wheels moving for Sheldon, or at least get him thinking. "Anybody want a Coke or anything while I'm up?"

"I'm all set" Bernie said while reading her book

"No thanks" Emily said as she laid on her back enjoying the sun

"Sure" Amy said

"Wanna come with Amy?"

Amy was comfortable but decided moving around was good. "Sure, bestie"

Penny grabbed her phone before the ladies walked to a nearby stand. _'Time to take the bull by the horns' _


	4. Chapter 4

**_A/N: Thanks for being patient with me. I was beta testing two stories for other authors plus working on two of my Bones stories that I hope to have up in a day or two. I am thankful for the awesome reviews and hope I do a good job for you all. Enjoy reading_****.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own BBT, but I like taking a few them out to play on occasion.**

* * *

Thirty-six hours after his epiphany, Sheldon arrived in Galveston. Getting off the train he felt a mixture of relief and wariness when he saw who picked him up. He was greeted with a hug that he was too exhausted to fight off.

"Hey Shelly. How are you?"

"Fine Missy" He looked around and saw she was alone. "Where's the baby and Mom?"

"Noah is with Robbie. Mom is at home. I thought you could use a break before started her interrogation. Ready to go?"

"Yeah" Sheldon picked up his stuff and the siblings walked to her pickup truck. He mentally shuddered as he hated being in them. He was afraid of being that high off the ground while moving and afraid he would fall out if the door fell open.

They drove for ten minutes in silence before Missy started conversation. "Shelly, can I ask what brought this sudden trip on? I know last time we talked you were busy with that new formula thing then Momma said you had to change your mind and that you're not into that string theory stuff anymore."

"It was a new element that was not one due to my stupid error and the Chinese lying, the Big Bang Theory is the new flavor of physics, and it's all done now. You really need to keep up, Missy" Sheldon said with resignation.

Missy knew something was wrong with her twin. She kept up on his career, including his fluke with the new element and knew that he was having other issues at work. She knew when she didn't his typical high horse response that it was more than a career thing. Wanting to confirm her suspicion, she pressed further.

"So, how's Amy?"

"She's in Michigan for the summer. She was offered an opportunity to assist at another university" Sheldon said barely hiding the tears from falling from his eyes.

Missy heard the catch in his voice. _'Yep, that's it'_. She knew she was pressing her luck, but continued. "So when is she coming home?"

Sheldon's control broke. "I don't know, Melissa! She's very busy! Now, can we please change the subject since my relationship with Amy is none of your business"

"Of course, Sheldon" Missy answered quietly. He had called her by her real name only a handful of times, mostly when he was upset at her. "We'll be at Momma's shortly. Meemaw waited up for you"

Sheldon heard her call him by his real name and felt a moment of guilt. She only called him that when she was mad at him or as he realized later in life when he hurt her feelings. He knew he should apologize and he would…..later, but right now, he just needed his Meemaw.

* * *

For the next seven days, he spent his time in his room checking Amy's Facebook page or looking up various neuroscience items, including seeing the program guide for CMU. When not in his room, he would wander out around his family's property to the places where he would hide away from his world of bullies and arguments as a child.

He had to dodge his mother's interrogations every day about where he went and what he did during his time away from Pasadena. She would ask about Amy, but he kept his answers as simple as he could. More than once she asked if they had _'sinned'_ and each time, he cut the conversation short. He didn't want to sass his mother since she was guilty of the same thing, but it was getting harder to avoid.

He thought a great deal about his future. String theory had been what fed him for over twenty years. It was also what saved him more than once during his childhood. When the taunting of bullies and occasionally his siblings and family got to be too much, he could forget for a while by immersing himself in physics. If not physics, then the stories of the Flash and the other heroes of the Justice League who overcame the odds to always save the day.

He would think of his parents. There was love there in the beginning, he was sure. But by the time his father died, whatever love was there disintegrated into an amalgam of anger and bitterness. His parents buried themselves in their own comforts. His father with booze and adultery. His mother with her church.

He remembered the fights he would hear in the middle of the night, the screaming, the sound of objects being broken, the angry words. He remembered his mother's passive aggressiveness in dealing with his father's activities, including putting fecal matter into his father's tobacco. It's why he never had a pet in the home when he came to California, not until he got the clowder of cats. Recalling the cats made him recall why he got them.

_Amy._

He and Amy broke up because of a stupid disagreement over their chosen fields. He knew it was an idiotic argument, but Amy challenging him stirred things inside himself that he was uncomfortable with. Physics had always been his first love and to hear it criticized was beyond insulting. It was worse when someone was able to get under his skin like that. It took his mother's disapproval to get them to get back together. He knew he wasn't to blame for anything, but when Amy offered him to take only 65% of the blame, he jumped on it without question, but at the time he didn't know why except it felt right.

He knew now. He wanted Amy in his life. The one person who really got him. Yes, he had his friends, but no one he could really be himself, except perhaps Leonard at times.

When she went on that date with Stuart, he felt things…..hippy dippy things that he didn't like. She was his intellectual equal and they had a relationship of the mind. He knew that Amy needed to surround herself with someone who could appreciate her knowledge and a comic shop owner would definitely not be it. It was Penny who really got him to see what the problem was. He was jealous. He didn't want Amy seeing other guys. He wanted to be her guy, but the thought of being physical scared him to death.

The Relationship Agreement was his way of protecting himself and be with Amy. He sensed her frustration with him more times than she realized, so he tried working on his emotional difficulties and his misophobia. He even read the book Penny and Leonard bought for him, _The Joy of Sex._ After his confidence in Penny and Leonard about considering a physical relationship with Amy, Penny bought him _The Kama Sutra_.

Reading those books gave him nightmares for a while, but after Valentine's Day, he made himself read them again. The further along he got, he found himself getting more and more frustrated when he was alone. His past reliefs of Kolinahr or the occasional self-abuse did not work anymore.

Recently before he left, he started reading pulpy Harlequin romance novels he hid underneath his bed and watched the occasional adult film on his laptop on the sly for more research. Sheldon Cooper strived to be the best at everything and physical relations were no exceptions. He never half-assed anything.

He studied hard in his coitus research. The further he got, the more often he told himself every time he saw Amy he would show her how much he loved her. However, but when those times came, he wasn't able to get himself to relax enough to touch her or even say the words. Sometimes, those feelings would put him in such a panic he resorted to being what Penny would call an _'asshole'_ towards Amy.

The psychic told him to give himself to Amy, but hearing that completely terrorized him. He didn't want to open himself up to that chance of living his parents' life. Seeing their marriage turn into what it did was not what he wanted for himself. He just couldn't do it.

Now, he had to face the fact he might have drove her away permanently. She took off almost 2000 miles away from him because he hurt _her_, not her hippy dippy feelings. _He did_ and he had to live with that.

He kept up with everyone else on Facebook and saw the pictures Penny posted of the girls' vacation with her in Michigan. He felt envy as they got to see her but he didn't. When he saw a picture Penny posted of them in Mackinac City, his insides turned to ice then red hot.

There was Penny and _his_ Amy with their arms around a strange man with muscles and with a physique Penny would call _'hot'_. He then saw Amy without her glasses and her hair shorter but with waves and couldn't help but be in awe of her beauty, but then he realized that the man's arm was around her. What made it worse was when he saw the bathing suit his girlfriend was wearing, which showed more skin that he was comfortable with. He knew what was under her layers as he saw them as he bathed her, but now others knew what he did. His Amy was stunning with curves that begged to be caressed, including her fascinating posterior.

Using Kolinahr, he got himself into some sort of control. The fact that she still communicated with him at all gave him a little hope. He wanted nothing more than to talk to her, though. Amy always knew what to say and the right thing to do. But he knew as much as he wanted to call her, he also knew he needed to get himself into a better place. He wasn't even sure if she would take his call.

He knew she would read his emails and respond with a general response about her latest academic activities, which was something. He needed to do something to show her how he felt, but what?

He felt fear rip his stomach up again as he glanced back to his laptop and saw the picture again. This time, seeing it made him do something he never thought he would do.

Silently he prayed that by the time he settled his issues that it wouldn't be too late for them. Laying down for bed, he closed his eyes but could only see his Amy in that suit and felt his pajama pants tighten.

It would be a long night for Sheldon.

* * *

One morning later on, Sheldon got up and had breakfast with his mother and Mee Maw when Mary started again.

"So have you heard from Amy?"

"Yes, she is settling in at CMU and is very busy"

They ate in silence for a few minutes before Mary started to speak again. "Shelly, I don't like this girlfriend of yours"

Sheldon almost choked on his food. "What? I thought you liked Amy"

"Well, I did, but now she's all involved in her career and her friends. I saw a picture she posted on that Facebook where those girls were posing with wine bottles. Instead of working on her relationship with you, she's gallivanting with her friends. I wouldn't be surprised if she had a boyfriend up there sinning."

Sheldon's patience broke as he threw his napkin on his plate and dropped his fork.

"Mother, I don't agree with you on the church and some of your standings, but I love you and I always will. However, I will not allow you to talk about Amy that way. She's up north to help a friend since he is on leave. I'm the one that took off on her because I didn't know what I wanted in life. If Penny, Bernadette, and Emily want to visit her, so what! Yes, she drinks wine…..big deal. She's also intelligent, kind, and generous. She deserves a lot more than what I gave her. Do not ever speak of Amy like she's some common tramp again or that conversation will be our last. Do I make myself clear?"

"Sheldon Lee Cooper, I am your mother and you will respect me"

"Not until you respect Amy Farrah Fowler. If you will excuse me, I am done with breakfast" he turned to his grandmother. "I'm sorry Mee Maw"

When Sheldon left the room, Mary turned to her mother, who was looking at her. "Mom, did you hear what—"

"Mary Louise, sometimes you just need to shut up and keep those stupid opinions to yourself" Mee Maw retorted before getting up and leaving the room.

* * *

When his grandmother found him later that afternoon, he was sitting on his bed staring at the ceiling. "Moon Pie?"

When he heard his grandmother's voice, he immediately turned to the one woman in his family he could really relax with. "Yes Mee Maw?"

"Let's take a walk"

"I'm not really up for walking right now, Mee Maw. Besides, it's supposed to rain."

His grandmother walked with her cane with determination belying her almost eighty years. When she reached his bed, she looked down with a face that Sheldon knew as her "mean" face. "It was not a request, Moon Pie. I'll wait for you downstairs"

As he watched the elderly woman walk slowly out of the room, Sheldon had a feeling he wouldn't like what she had to talk about. He also knew that to disobey Mee Maw was not a good idea.

He got himself out of bed and quickly cleaned up. When done, he went downstairs where his mother was knitting and his brother was watching a football game.

"Hey it's Smelly. How's it going with your string stuff?" George Junior asked with a snicker.

"That's enough Junior" Mary said without taking her eyes off her knitting before looking up to her younger son. "Mee Maw is waiting on the porch for you"

"Thank you" he replied stiffly.

He walked out to his grandmother, who was finishing her glass of lemonade. She set her glass down and the two walked off the porch and headed towards the back acres of the property. The skies were gray and ashen. Sheldon hoped that they would be back before it rained.

"So, Shelly, it seems you are at a crossroads right now. Found any answers yet?"

"No Mee Maw. String Theory is all I've ever known. I want to do something else, but the university won't let me. I don't know what else to do"

"What about Amy?"

"What about her?"

Mee Maw stopped walking. "Young man, I know you have been reading either her Facebook or those brain articles on the internet. More than once when I walked by you were looking at that website where she is right now. She's up north, right?"

"Michigan" Sheldon muttered. "I'm always researching new programs—"

"Don't you lie to me Sheldon Lee Cooper. You're missing your girl. Now I've given you your space and not pestered you with questions or brainless comments like your momma has, but I'm tired of seeing you mope around these parts. You're going to tell me what happened and you're going to do it right now. It's just us"

She pointed to a nearby tree with the tire swing he played on when he was a kid. His grandmother sat on a nearby stump and after seeing the standing water in the tire sat on the ground. He tried to forget that he was sitting on germ-contaminated dirt, but he wouldn't make his Mee Maw sit on the dirty ground.

He told her everything about what had happened in the last few months with his career and in his relationship with Amy. He would watch his grandmother's face laugh at some parts and nod at others. When he finished with their last argument before getting on the train, he got smacked upside the head. "Ow, Mee Maw! That hurt!"

"Good, maybe that will knock some sense into that skull of yours. You were gifted with an intelligence that few have obtained from the man upstairs"

"Jesus did not—" Sheldon started but was silenced by the dirty look he got from his grandmother. "My apologies. Please continue"

"You advanced far beyond your years in many things, but there are some things you're still just a baby on, Moon Pie. Why are you afraid of this girl? From what I have heard of her from you, she is very patient and obviously loves you warts and all"

"I'm not afraid of Amy and I do not have warts. Mee Maw, that just…..it's just…..wrong"

Mee Maw had a hunch and decided to play it. "Remember when you were a child and sometimes you, Missy, and Junior would stay with me and Pop Pop some nights"

"Yeah because Momma had to take Daddy home from the tavern or they were fighting. I didn't like it when they were fighting"

"No one likes fighting, Moon Pie. Your parents had love, they really did. They didn't handle things the way they should and I let them both know that. People also were not always nice to you when you were younger. There was nothing wrong with you. They just didn't understand how special you were"

Mee Maw shifted on the stump. "Sheldon, East Texas was not meant for you. You've done good out in California. Yes I know your Momma thinks it's a place for sin, but everybody has to find their own way. Missy found herself a softheaded but loving husband and now has a family. Junior…..well, he's just Junior. Unfortunately that is a case of an apple not falling too far from the tree"

"What do I do Mee Maw?"

The elderly woman looked at her favorite grandchild and told him with as much love as she could. "Moon Pie, shit or get off the pot"

Sheldon's eyes bulged. "Mee Maw!"

"Moon Pie! To quote your Pop Pop, you done shit in your nest!"

"What does that mean?"

"It means that you need to get your big boy britches on, figure out what to do with your life, and that you messed up with your Amy. Messed up good. That psychic lady tried to tell you"

"Psychics are frauds, Mee Maw"

"Not always, Moon Pie. She told you and now I'm telling you, you want to figure out what to do with your life and career, you go make up with your Amy. Have you talked to her?"

"We email"

Sheldon saw the look on her face and knew his grandmother was right, but was afraid. "Make up with Amy? I can't even figure out what to do about my career. Do I continue with string theory or possibly go to another university to study something different?" Then he voiced what he feared most. "Mee Maw, what if she doesn't want me anymore?"

The elderly woman got up off the tree stump and stood up on her walking stick. "Well then, you learned a valuable lesson in life about taking people for granted. Things with Pop Pop weren't always perfect. Sometimes they were downright rotten like the stink from a chicken coop, but I treasured every day I had with him. People like him didn't grow on trees, but I got lucky. Something tells me Amy will be the same way for you"

She walked up to her grandson who was lifting himself off the ground while brushing the dirt off his rear end. "I want you to think about what I said. No matter what you decide, you're always going to be my Moon Pie"

Sheldon hugged his grandmother. "Thank you, Mee Maw"

"You're welcome. Now come on, my daughter will have supper coming soon and we both know how she gets when it's served late. By the way, she will be apologizing for her stupidity this morning before bed."

Sheldon acknowledge this with a nod. If Mee Maw says it will happen, then it will. The two walked back towards the house. The clouds that covered the sky earlier were parting and a peek of the magnificent Texas blue sky began to come through.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Thanks for the great reviews and welcome my new followers. Keep up the good reading!**

_**Disclaimer: I don't own BBT but like to take a few characters to play with sometimes**_

* * *

A few days later, Sheldon was sitting out on the porch reading a book on physics when he heard footsteps running towards him. As he looked up, his sister was jogging towards him.

"Shelly! Robbie fell of his motorcycle again and I have to take him to the ER"

"Good Lord. Well, it is your husband so I shouldn't be surprised"

"Can you or Mee Maw watch Noah until Momma gets back?"

"Mee Maw is taking a nap"

"Well, I guess Noah gets to spend time with his Uncle Shelly"

"Missy—" Sheldon stood up to protest but he was interrupted by his sister thrusting his nephew in his arms.

"Momma should be back from church in a couple of hours. I just fed him. He should be ready for his nap in about an hour. If he doesn't go down right away, read to him or play music. He really likes AC/DC"

"But—"

"Thanks, Shelly" Missy said before she ran off the porch and to her pickup truck.

Shelly stood helpless while holding a seven month old child. He looked down and saw his nephew staring at him. "What are you looking at?"

* * *

An hour and a half later, an exasperated Missy returned to the house. Her husband merely busted his butt, so she took him home and left him home sitting on a pillow before collecting her baby. She needed the cooling off time and she needed to thank her brother for watching her son. She knew Sheldon felt uncomfortable around babies and she owed him one.

Missy pulled up to the house, shut off the truck, and climbed out. When she walked up to the porch, she saw that the front door was open but the screen door was shut. As she got closer, Missy was about to call out to her brother when she saw something that melted her heart.

Sheldon was sitting in one of the living room recliners set aside for Ron's visits reading to her son. She caught a glimpse of what her brother was reading her son and rolled her eyes. Quietly she grabbed her phone and started filming. After she began recording, she watched her brother face her baby and talk to him. Sheldon's words brought tears to Missy's eyes, but she fought to hold them back not wanting to embarrass her brother. When he was done, she stopped recording and put her phone away before entering.

"Hey, Shelly. How's my baby?"

"Well, after you unceremoniously dumped you son on me like a sack of potatoes, we sat here watching an episode of Doctor Who on my computer. He was still awake so I thought I would enrich his mind. You have to start early you know"

"Of course, Shelly. So what rocket science stuff are you enriching my son with?"

"I am not reading him rocket science stuff. I am showing my nephew the wonders of physics. Our genetic markers are similar even if not the same ovum so there's a chance he inherited some of my genius as opposed to his father's lack of it"

"Shelly, don't make tangle with you like we did as kids" Sheldon held up his nephew in front of him. "Don't hide behind my baby!"

Sheldon put Noah back on his lap before Missy walked over and picked him up. "You two looked really cute when I walked up. Maybe you should think of having one of your own" When she saw the moment of sadness in his eyes, she knew she said the wrong thing. "I'm sorry, Shelly. I wasn't thinking."

Pushing his feelings down, he put on a mask of indifference. Inwardly he relaxed as he knew if Missy heard anything he said to the baby, she would have made fun of him by now. "There's nothing to apologize for. To have a progeny I need to have a person of equal intelligence to produce with and that is something that I am lacking at the moment"

"No you're not, Shelly" She took a step towards her brother. "Should you and Amy get your heads out of your butts, it's something to consider for the future"

"I beg your pardon –"

"Well, Momma's home. I need to get home to kick my husband's ass, literally. Good night, Shelly"

Sheldon watched his sister leave and he prepared himself for his mother. She did apologize for her remarks the other day and he accepted it. However, he still felt hurt from what she said about Amy. It was then he realized she was saying something to her. "I'm sorry. What did you say, Mom?"

"I was asking you want you wanted for dinner. Ron is coming over tonight."

"I'm not very hungry. Besides, doesn't he have a home?"

Sheldon didn't hate the man, but he still felt uncomfortable with his mother and Ron. He was still annoyed about his mother criticizing him for the non-existent sexual relationship she thought he was having with Amy, but doing the same thing with the older man. He still couldn't sit on the couch.

"Shelly, you will be polite tonight or I will send you to your room like I did during the last visit. I will also take out all your toys and computer stuff. Do I make myself clear?"

When his mother left the room, his sister's words began to whirl through his mind. He shook his head in a futile attempt to get them out. When that didn't work, he picked up the Physics textbook and began to read again. He needed to get himself together before he could call Amy. She was busy in Michigan for the time being and needed to focus on her job there…at least that is what he told himself.

He was sitting and staring at the wall when he heard a loud crash upstairs. "Mee Maw?"

Sheldon tore up the stairs, followed by his mother. When he got to his grandmother's room, he found her lying on the ground. Nearby, one of Noah's toys was lying on the floor. Mary ran to the phone and called an ambulance.

"Oh my hip"

"It's going to be okay, Mee Maw" Sheldon said as he sat next to his grandmother, trying to keep the fear out of his voice for her sake.

* * *

"No Mother we are not broken….He's with his family in Texas and I am working for a few weeks in Michigan…..No he has not broken my hy-….You know what? Never mind. Mother my sex life is none of your concern…I'll come home when I am done with this project…Mother I will come home when I feel like it. Bye!"

Amy hung up on her mother in frustration. She was mostly unavailable growing up when she needed comfort but was always there to give criticism and judgment. Girl Scouts were whores and women remained virgins until marriage. Her mother raised her to be perfect, but she was always just short of that pedestal in her mother's eyes.

She thought about her father and wondered how he put up with her mother for so long. Her dad always made time for her when able, but when she got older, she discovered that the man she thought could do no wrong was also flawed. It was wrong what he did, but she could understand now the how and why of his actions. She only wished she could tell him that, but she was seventeen years too late and it was the biggest regret of her life. Seeing where her thoughts were going, she attempted to shake it off.

Today she had taken her three friends to the airport back to California. She had missed them as soon as they left to board the plane. The drive, while only a little more than an hour, felt like an eternity to her. Then getting her mother's phone call was always an emotional drain. Suddenly, her thoughts shifted.

Sheldon. She wondered how he was doing in Texas. She didn't know what the future held for them, but she hoped that they could salvage their friendship if anything else. He was more than her intellectual equal, he was probably the only one who really tried to understand…..no...who could understand what it was like to grow up lonely and different. For years, she closed herself off from people for protection, but Dr. Sheldon Cooper and his friends snuck past her walls, changing her life forever. If she lost him completely, she didn't know what she would do.

She wanted to call him desperately and talk to him, but she was the one who set up the ground rules this summer. No phone calls, only general emails, but she was already regretting it. She made that rule to prevent her caving in like before or keep her from getting hurt as he would inevitably be cold and aloof with rejection.

There was much for each to say, all very messy and complicated, but how did they go about it? Sheldon didn't know what he wanted from life and she was confused as well. She didn't know what to do as she began to cry.

Amy was near the end of her crying jag when she heard her phone buzz. Broken out of her spell, she answered the phone while wiping her face. "Steven, hi. How are you? How is Janis?" Amy listened as her face ashen. "Oh Steven….I'm so sorry. Is there anything I can do?" Amy listened for a moment. "When is the service?"

She wrote down the information given. "I can call the university for you. Anyone else? Okay. I'm so sorry and let me know if you need anyone else" Amy hung up the phone in shock.

_A heart attack. A 39 year old woman in the final stages of chemotherapy brought down by a heart attack. _

Her life was a mess but someone just lost their life partner. Nothing that she was going through could compare to that. Amy sat back on the couch, enveloped by the quiet of the house. Ten minutes later, she heard her phone buzz. When she looked it was a text from Penny letting her know that they landed in California successfully after a delay in Idaho due to an unruly passenger. She couldn't stop herself as she texted back.

**_Thank you for letting me know. Steve just called and let me know his wife died in Ann Arbor. He's taking her home to Virginia for funeral. Thanks for coming to see me._**

She sat in shock for a few minutes before calling the head of the CMU Neuroscience department with the news. She let them that she would be available for the next few weeks if Steven needed the time off and hung up. She sat and thought for the next several minutes about Steven's loss and her relationship with Sheldon. All of her misery comingled until she collapsed in a fit of tears in frustration and pain.

* * *

Sheldon was sitting with Mee Maw in her room as she slept. Missy went home earlier with a promise to come back in the morning while George Junior wasn't anywhere to be found to no one's surprise. His mother outside was talking to the doctors.

She had a bruised hip and sprained ankle due to tripping on one of Noah's toys after attempting to get up without her cane. When she arrived and reported a wave of dizziness before falling, she had tests run. She had atrial fibrillation. She was going to be started on medication, but there was the future possibility of bypass surgery if it didn't improve.

He continued to feel conflicted as he remembered Amy's picture with Penny on Facebook. That thought alternated with his talks with Mee Maw and his baby nephew. He just didn't know what to think.

He looked at the clock and saw visiting hours were technically over. He didn't care what any rule stated. He wasn't going to leave Mee Maw alone. Sitting and contemplating, he was surprised by his grandmother's voice.

"Moon Pie, you need to go home"

"I don't want to leave you alone here, Mee Maw. These places are full of germs and strange people."

The elderly woman merely shook her head. "Fine, if you're not going to leave, we're going to talk. Have you figured out your life with Amy yet like we talked about?"

"No. She's probably already moving on"

"How do you know that? Has she told you this?"

"No" Sheldon said petulantly

"Then how do you know?"

"This" Sheldon walked to his grandmother's bed. She took the phone and looked at the picture of Amy and Penny from Mackinaw City on Penny's Facebook page. After a moment, Mee Maw started to laugh.

"What's so funny, Mee Maw?"

"You, Moon Pie. Obviously this picture was posted by Penny to get your ass in gear"

"Mee Maw!"

"Sheldon Lee Cooper. You have been sitting around moping for weeks because of this girl. You've even admitted that you were the asshole"

Sheldon's eyes bugged out as he continued to listen.

"I know that you don't buy what that psychic told you, but someone is trying to tell you something. You are scared shitless that she will walk away before you figure things out, but you're letting her, Moon Pie. Life is sometimes about taking a chance. Yes, there's a chance you may be rejected, but there's also a chance you two can come together and make a life. Maybe you two working together will help you decide what you need to do about your science career."

Mee Maw finished but had an afterthought when she saw her grandson contemplating. "Don't over think it. You always over think. Just say what's in your heart."

Their conversation was interrupted by a buzz on Sheldon's phone. He saw it was Penny but decided to let it go to voice mail. He was still annoyed by the picture and at Penny for having his Amy cozying up to other men. _'More attractive men'_ he thought.

"Who called Moon Pie?"

"Penny"

"Don't be sore at her because of that picture. You call her later"

Before Sheldon could respond, Mee Maw's room phone rang. She picked it up. "Hello? Well, hello Penny. I've heard a lot about you. Yes he's here, hang on" She pointed the phone towards her grandson. "It's Penny. She says it's important"

Seeing the look his grandmother gave him, Sheldon took the phone. "Hello Penny. So what is this emergency? Wanting to make sure I saw the picture you took of yourself and Amy half naked?" His snark died to a quiet as he heard what Penny was telling him. He nodded for a moment. "Okay, thank you for calling me, Penny. Goodbye"

Sheldon hung up the phone but remained quiet. Mee Maw didn't like what she saw. "Sheldon, what's wrong?"

"Amy's friend, the professor that she was working for…..his wife died" Suddenly he realized the jealousy he had about the man made him feel very small. "She was in the hospital at University of Michigan receiving chemotherapy for her breast cancer. Tonight she went into cardiac arrest while talking to her husband. It was quick and the doctors think the treatments weakened her heart."

Sheldon waited a beat before continuing. "I guess after Penny text Amy let her know they arrived home, Amy texted back letting her know about her friend's wife. When Penny called her to check on her, Amy was trying to sound normal, but Penny knew she was crying and upset. Penny said for me to _'get over myself and high tail my skinny ass up to Michigan'_ before hanging up." Sheldon said

"Then why are you here? Get the hell up there"

"I don't want to intrude Mee Maw. What if she gets upset when she sees me there and then tells me she doesn't want to be with me anymore? I don't think I could take that rejection"

Mee Maw smiled. "So you are in love with her"

He knew there was no point in lying to her. "Yes"

"Have you two made love yet?"

Sheldon's face turned beet red. "Mee Maw! That's very personal"

"That's what I thought. Penny called you for a reason. Amy needs you Moon Pie and you need her. Remember when I said to shit or get off the pot? Well pinch it off and get on the next flight north. Yes, you two have some problems, but sometimes, you have to suck it up when your better half needs you. Talking can come later."

"But Mee Maw, you're hurt. The doctor said you will need someone to take care of you for the next few weeks because of the atrial fibrillation and that you can't get around by yourself"

"So I got a little dizzy spell from my ticker. Instead of being smart, I got out of bed too fast and tripped. My own fault. The doctors want to keep me here until tomorrow night to be safe. I have your mother and your sister to help me, so I will be all right for a few days. If something changes, someone will call you. Now get out of here and thank Penny the next time you talk to her. She's a good friend to both of you to track you down for Amy and set you straight."

He realized that she was right. Maybe it was time to take a chance and get out of his comfort zone. Getting up, he kissed his grandmother good night. "Thank you, Mee Maw"

When he ran out of the room, the older woman pulled her tablet out of her bedside drawer. Opening up Facebook, she found what she was looking for and laughed. "Oh, Penny, I think the two of us would get along just fine."

Outside the room, Sheldon walked quickly in the halls until he found his mom, who had just finished talking to the doctor. "Mom, I need to go to the airport. I have to go to Michigan"

"What? Why? Your grandmother needs you here. Surely, Amy can wait"

Sheldon ignored the jab. "Because Mee Maw told me to. Amy needs me"

Mary wanted to dissuade him, but the look on her son's face told her it would go in one ear and out the other. "Okay, let me say good night. Just meet me in the car" She said as she handed him the keys that he yanked out of his mother's hand as he ran down the corridor.

By the time Mary made it to the car he had booked the red eye from Houston at 3:00 AM into Detroit. She got him home where he packed quickly and to the airport by 11:00. After getting through security, which he felt he was unjustifiably being detained longer because his agent was an idiot, he sat at the gate around 1:00 AM. Forced to sit and wait for the flight, he had his IPad and his thoughts.

_'What am I going to say to her when I get there? What if she tells me to go away and hates me? How can I tell her what I feel when I can't even get the words out myself?'_

Feeling restless, he got a cup of tea from a nearby vendor. It wasn't until he opened the tea bags that he realized what he picked out_. 'Lemon Zinger and Green Tea…..and I'm not even at a rave'_

He sat quietly sipping his tea while trying to read an article on Star Trek, but gave up when he read the same page for twenty minutes. He pulled up Amy's Facebook and found pictures posted of her with the girls and wine bottles. They were all smiling or laughing in their pajamas and was posted the night they arrived in Michigan. He figured she was as hopped up as the others probably were, but she looked happy…..beautiful.

He then pulled up a file on his IPad and smiled when it opened to pictures. As he flicked through each one, he felt happy when he saw Amy in various poses…..with him at Bernadette and Howard's wedding, their costume at Stuart's party, one taken at the party when the guys were all competing for tenure, and his favorite of all, one that he took when she was making another Death Star cake for him, about a week before he left. Her eyes were lit up and her smile was so bright.

Suddenly, he got inspiration. Hearing the call for his flight, he worked quickly, shocked that almost two hours had gone by. He opened an email to her and only sent a note with several attachments. The final call came when the message was sent, so he packed up quickly and rushed to get in line for the flight to Detroit. Hopefully, what he did will not make things worse, but his Mee Maw was right_. 'One needs to defecate or get off the toilet'_

When he was settled in, he listened patiently to the flight attendant's instructions before putting his ear buds in. He wanted to sleep, but the tea was keeping him awake now, or at least that's what he preferred to think.

When takeoff commenced, Sheldon reached for Amy's hand before realizing he was alone. Not wanting to get kicked off the flight due to his fears, he closed his eyes and imagined her sitting next to him. He grabbed onto the arm rest and squeezed as tight as he could. When the place got to ten thousand feet, he relaxed, but those nagging thoughts from Houston came back to him.

_'I hope I got off the toilet seat in time and she doesn't want to flush me back down'_

* * *

Amy calmed down after a few minutes. Feeling wide awake, she turned on the TV and attempted to watch a movie, but she couldn't pay attention as her mind was elsewhere. Earlier, Penny called concerned about her text. She tried to keep her voice neutral, but Amy knew her bestie was still worried. After reassuring her she was fine, she hung up and sat in contemplation before another crying jab took over. Eventually she fell into a fitful sleep on the couch. She was woken up by Penny's text ring.

**_I know u & S are on outs, but L just got call that Mee Maw is in the hospital in Galveston. _**

Quickly she sat up and regretted it as she had a headache from her crying, but she ignored it. "Oh no. Sheldon must be a wreck"

She sat and debated for the longest time on what to do. More than once she picked up the phone to call, but always stopped. She moved towards the laptop for an email, but knew better. Suddenly, her phone buzzed. She didn't recognize the number but read the message.

**_Hi amy its missy. i know my brother is an idiot but dont write him off yet. watch this._**

Amy pushed on the attachment and her heart melted as she watched her Sheldon reading to his nephew. Halfway through, he turned to the baby and talked to him.

_'Someday, Noah, you will find someone who makes you feel good. Don't do what your Uncle Doctor Cooper…..Uncle Shelly did and ignore them or put your relationship in some binding document to protect yourself. I had planned on someday giving you an Aunt Amy, but I made a mess of that by being an a—a donkey's posterior. But I'm going to figure my life out and do whatever it takes to get her back because while science is my first love, she's…my Counterfactuals partner, my one true equal…my best friend…..the only woman I have ever had these feelings for….the only woman I've ever…but if I don't, it's all my fault. You have the potential to be a genius such as myself. Don't muck it up.'_

Sheldon shook his head. 'Okay now that Uncle Shelly had his hippy dippy moment, let's get back to what is important. Physics'

He started to read again when the video ended. Amy sat there for a moment stunned. Her boyfriend spoke from the heart.

She knew what she needed to do…..wanted to do and debated back and forth for several minutes. "Oh fuck it!" Amy yelled before she realized what she said. "Penny does influence me"

There were things to be said and emotions to be dealt with, but right now, her boyfriend needed her, and she needed him.

She looked outside and watched the rain pour in buckets and heard the thunder and lightning. Tuning the loud booms out, she opened up her laptop and got on her computer. Finding flights to Houston, she found one that took off from MBS in Saginaw at 4 AM. She looked at the clock and saw it was 12:30 AM. With her TSA history, it would be tight, but she had to try. Quickly booking it, she ran into her room and packed a bag and her laptop. She was off for another five days and she was grateful.

She grabbed essentials and ran out the door, running back to lock the door. Her car was close to the house, but she was drenched when she got in. Programming in directions on her phone navigator, she drove to the airport.


	6. Chapter 6

_**A/N: Thank you all for your patience. It's been pretty crazy here of late with some health issues and extra shifts I'm working to cover for a colleague. I will try to update quicker when things chill out. In the meantime, enjoy.**_

**Disclaimer: I don't own BBT but take a few of them out to play sometimes.**

* * *

Back in California, Penny sat on her couch in her bathrobe and hair pulled up in a messy pony tail. Leonard was asleep in the bedroom, but she couldn't sleep after talking to Amy and Sheldon.

She made Amy a promise that she would put their friendship first instead of always looking out for Sheldon. It was hard because he was also one of her dearest friends, and she knew he felt the same way about her in return. She heard a joke or two over the years about how she and Sheldon would make a good couple so he could loosen up, but all she could do was think of incest.

Doctor Sheldon Cooper was an egotistical idiot who sometimes needed a filter for his damn mouth. However, he was also the guy who came running when she fell out of the shower and drove her to the hospital when he was scared to drive. He also loaned her money when she was broke and didn't pressure her to pay him back. It took her a few years but she finished paying him recently. He was blasé about it, but for her, it was a debt to be repaid and that's just what you did.

He was the one who snuck in her room and gave her something to think about when she was debating breaking up with Leonard. He wrapped his defending of Leonard into a science discussion on homeostasis, but she knew he was looking out for his best friend.

They could never be a couple. They would kill each other and she knew as fastidious and neat as he was, her clutter or laid back manner would kill him. Besides, his heart was never hers to obtain, as it was meant for Amy, just like hers was meant for the short, bespectacled scientist sleeping in her bed.

Did she interfere by calling Sheldon and Amy about the other's crisis? She didn't think so, but hoped she was right. She didn't want to lose two friends by sticking her nose where it didn't belong. She just wanted them to talk to each other. Hopefully Amy called him since she was stuck in Michigan and that Doctor Wackadoodle got his butt up north since she was reassured his Mee Maw was going to be all right without him for a few days.

Keeping her fingers crossed, she got up, turned off the light, and went back to bed.

* * *

At the airport, Amy grabbed her things from her car. Unfortunately, the long term parking only had outside spots left, so she was drenched by the time she got into the small terminal. She checked in her luggage and even her TSA exam went somewhat smoothly. She had no issues getting to her gate, so she sat down and relaxed for the first time in several hours. She was encouraged from her good luck until it was announced that her flight was delayed due to inclement weather and it was now scheduled to leave at 6:00 AM.

Amy was drifting off to sleep when she felt a buzz in her pocket. Perking up, she checked and saw it was two in the morning and that she didn't miss her flight. Desperate to stay awake, she went and bought a cup of tea from a nearby vendor. When she sat down and start to steep it, she saw what she picked out and sighed. Earl Grey. _'Of course I would'_

After she got settled in, she checked her phone and saw there was an email from Sheldon. Noting the time, it was sent only a few minutes ago. Calculating time in Texas, she realized it was one o'clock there. _'Why on earth would he be up that late? Of course, Mee Maw. Probably still at the hospital. I hope she's going to be all right. Penny never told me what she was there for'_

She read the succinct email's few words.

**_'I'm not good at hippy dippy things, but maybe what you hear from this will show you how I feel. Please download'_**

**_ Sheldon_**

Amy downloaded the attachment. When she opened it, it went to her music app, which surprised her. Grabbing her ear buds, she plugged them into her phone, and then pushed play. When she started to listen, she was perplexed. When she continued to listen, she was stunned. When it concluded, she was emotional as a tear came down her face.

Words could not express what she was feeling. She was on her phone starting to text Penny about this update when she stopped suddenly. She then erased what she started and backed out of texting. What Sheldon sent her was incredibly personal and she knew how hard it must have been for him to do it. It also showed her that his time away has helped him. How much it helped him or if their relationship would survive past the pain he caused her these several weeks remained to be seen.

She managed to stay awake until around 4:00 AM when she drifted to sleep. She was awakened thirty minutes later when it was announced that her flight would be delayed again until 9:30 AM. She was tempted to leave, but she knew she may lose her spot in the long term lot and going to nearby Freeland or Saginaw wasn't worth the hassle of coming back through security. Tired and frustrated, she counted to ten before getting up to go find breakfast.

* * *

Sheldon arrived at MBS Airport tired and out of sorts. Flights were behind schedule at Metro in Detroit due to fog and heavy rain. He quickly searched knowing that his bus to Mount Pleasant was due to leave in less than an hour. He quickly grabbed his luggage and followed the signs to the cabs. As he was running towards the exit, he glanced at a gate and saw a woman turned away from him sleeping. Seeing the brown hair made him think of Amy, but then he realized where he was. He refocused on his goal and was grateful to find an empty taxi for the bus station.

The bus station disgusted him as he saw it as a cesspool of germs. It wasn't until he got on the bus that he realized he wasn't wearing his bus pants. He felt nausea from the disgust, but he ignored his discomfort. He loved Amy and she needed him more than his neuroses.

He arrived at the address Penny gave him at 10:30 AM by cab during a horrendous thunderstorm. He did admire what he saw of the mid-sized town and college campus, but much preferred Pasadena and Caltech. He paid the taxi and walked wearily to the door. His stomach did cartwheels as he walked up the driveway. By the time he got to the door, he was about to vomit from nervousness along with being drenched from the rain still pouring down. Closing his eyes to steady himself, he knocked on the door.

_Knock knock knock_. "Amy"

_Knock knock knock_. "Amy"

_Knock knock knock_. "Amy"

He didn't get an answer. He tried again, but got no response. He tried her phone but it went straight to voice mail. Frustrated, he sat on the porch and was grateful for its wide length as it continued to rain while trying to stay awake. He was there for about fifteen minutes when he looked up and saw a car pull into the driveway. He immediately perked up when he saw it was Amy getting out. It did not go unnoticed when she got out and slammed the door hard and went into the back seat area.

"Son of a bitch! Damn rain! Damn airlines! Can't get a decent flight out until TOMORROW!"

Sheldon's eyes bulged out at his girlfriend's language. He tried to call out to her, but was unable to as he was frozen. He merely watched her as she walked through the rain onto the porch. When she looked up and saw him, she stood as still as he was. He could tell she was obviously exhausted with her eyes bloodshot. The speech he had planned to give her flew out of his head, so he said the only thing that would come to mind.

"Mee Maw said I was acting like an asshole and Missy told me to get our heads out of our butts"

A small laugh gurgled out of her before she ran into his arms. He grabbed her and held onto her as tight as he could.


	7. Chapter 7

_**Disclaimer: I don't own BBT but like to take them out to play sometimes.**_

* * *

After a moment, the two realized where they were, so Amy reluctantly moved and unlocked the front door, which he entered gladly as he was asleep on his feet, but he fought it with determination.

Amy showed him to a bedroom where she presented him with a towel to dry himself off. She went into her room and did the same thing before changing into her CMU t-shirt and shorts that she had taken to sleeping in of late due to the heat. When she was all set, she walked and knocked on the door. "Sheldon, you're probably not decent, but give me your wet clothes and I'll throw them in the dryer.

To her surprise, Sheldon opened the door wearing only his bath robe. He handed her a wet bundle in a towel.

She was still in shock at seeing him and since she had no idea of what to say, she merely pointed towards the living room. "I-I'm going to put these in the dryer. You can wait in the living room" She turned around and walked away before he could respond.

A few minutes later, she put the bundle in the dryer, but she stayed in the laundry room, trying to get her courage up to be in the same room as her boyfriend. She was all gung ho to be there for him in Texas, but now that he was here in the flesh, she didn't know what to say to him.

_'Sheldon, I'm so sorry about Mee Maw. I love you, but you really pissed me off'_

_'Sheldon, you were an asshole when you left, but I still love you'_

_'Sheldon, what do you need?'_

_'Sheldon, how was your trip? See anything interesting?'_

Realizing she wasn't any closer to a perfect speech than she was five minutes earlier, she inhaled before leaving for the living room. When she got there, he was sitting on the couch in his bathrobe watching her every move. She sat down and turned to him.

"I apologize for being in my bath robe, but I can't get into clean clothes without a shower and I thought that was something that should wait"

"Okay"

The two continued to sit on the couch looking everywhere but at each other. He had sewing machine leg and her hands were clasped together on her knees. Both were unsure what to say to the other.

"Amy, I….I….."

Amy knew from experience that Sheldon needed time to say the right thing. The fact that he was here spoke volumes. She also knew the only way to get here was by bus and he wasn't wearing his bus pants when she found him. She would give him an inch.

"Would you like some tea, Sheldon?"

"Yes, please"

When she left the room, Sheldon put his face in his hands. He had so much to say to her, but when he looked at her, he froze like an idiot_. 'You can't just send her songs forever, you troglodyte. Mee Maw said speak from the heart, but how do I do that?'_

His exhaustion was catching up with him as he realized he was up for almost 28 hours. He fought it as he waited for Amy. _'I can't fall asleep….not now'_

* * *

Amy went to make the tea in the kitchen as thoughts swirled in her mind. Yesterday, she was thinking of ending their relationship. After last night, she realized that life was precious and one had to fight for what they had. She had things to say to Sheldon, but him coming here was something she wouldn't have expected before he left Pasadena. She wasn't up for an emotional conversation, but maybe it wouldn't hurt to start a dialogue after the immediate crisis passed. For the first time in several hours, she was glad her flight to Houston was cancelled due to inclement weather.

Grabbing both mugs after filling them with hot water and tea bags to steep, she walked out to the living room and was greeted with a sleeping Sheldon half sitting up on the couch. Setting the mugs down, she grabbed a nearby afghan and covered him up. She sat at the opposite end of the couch and turned on the TV, but she was asleep a short time later.


	8. Chapter 8

_**A/N: I apologize for the delays. I've had health problems of late plus two very over due fanfics I had to update and get completed so I could devote all my time to this one. I hope this extra long chapter makes up for it and there is a lot more story coming. Thanks for all the kudos.**_

**Disclaimer: I don't own BBT but take some characters out to play sometimes.**

* * *

Sheldon woke up feeling stiff and grumpy. He looked around the living room trying to figure out where he was and was about to panic when he looked to his left and saw Amy….his Amy snoring quietly on the other end. Remembering where he was, he tried to stand up and was able to awkwardly. He heard his stomach and looked to his phone expecting it to be 1:00. Seeing his battery was dead, he looked around and saw the other clocks stated two o'clock and realized he forgot Michigan was in Eastern Standard Time. It was then that his bladder sent him an urgent message. He didn't like just walking through someone's house, but he also knew that he hasn't used the facilities since before he left Houston. He momentarily debated, but when his bladder became full to the point of pain, he sucked up his discomfort and went to look for a nearby bathroom.

Coming out a few minutes later in considerable relief, he was surprised to see Amy awake blinking her eyes. "Sorry I had to leave you and wander around the house, but I was in dire need of a restroom"

Feeling mostly awake now thanks to her nap Amy smiled. "It's fine. Are you hungry?"

"Yes"

"Good. I will make us some lunch"

"Amy"

Amy turned around to her boyfriend and saw nothing but misery in his eyes. "Yes, Sheldon"

"I need to talk to you"

"I know, but I think both need food and showers. This house has two bathrooms. I need one after being stuck at the airport for several hours. Besides, Steven texted me on my way back here. He will be by later to pick up clothes before leaving for Virginia."

Sheldon merely followed her as she walked to a nearby closet. _'Why would she be at an airport?'_ He didn't have time to think further as she pulled out two towels and handed them to him. She led him to the bathroom he was in a few minutes earlier. "I'll be out shortly"

Sheldon was done first, even with shaving. Seeing she was still getting ready, he walked into the kitchen. Looking in the cupboards, he saw pasta and sauce. Getting them out of the cupboard he started the water to boil and the sauce on the stove. Searching the refrigerator, he found the makings for a salad and he made one large one. By the time Amy came into the kitchen, Sheldon had the table set and lunch was done.

"Sheldon, what did you do?"

"Lunch. It's the least I can do after falling asleep on you. I hope you don't mind salad and pasta" He looked before getting a small smile on his face as he finally realized she wasn't bespectacled. "Where are you glasses?"

"Contact lenses. I got them when my friends were in town last week. Bernie got them, too"

Sheldon couldn't get over how her eyes looked without the barrier. She looked beautiful with her glasses but her eyes were stunning when one could see them. Controlling himself, he cleared his throat. "Lunch is ready"

She appreciated the small gesture. They sat down and ate in an awkward silence. Sheldon couldn't take the quiet any longer. "So what are you doing right now at the university?"

"I'm doing guest lectures and I taught a six week summer class on biological research which finished recently. Next week, the students come back for another six week session. I was only planning on guest lecturing this time, but with Janis's death, I may have to help out again if Steven isn't ready to come back."

Sheldon asked the question he needed to know. "Amy, are you coming back home?"

Amy looked up from her plate. "Yes, Sheldon I am. I like it here and wouldn't mind coming back in the future, but my home is in California. My life is there"

Sheldon picked around his plate trying to gather his courage to talk. Amy watched him, knowing what he wanted to ask her. In the past, she would have done the asking for him, but he needed to be the one to reach out to her. Patiently, she waited.

"Amy, um…I just wanted to tell you that I apologize for my frustration—"

_'__No, they were not going to do this again'_ Amy thought. "No, Sheldon"

He inhaled and started again. "For having issue with Leonard—"

"No, Sheldon. I want you to be honest, right now or you can grab your things and head back to Texas."

Sheldon shuffled his food around his plate again in an attempt to come up with the right words. Amy waited but decided that he was being his typical self and lost her temper. "You know what, why do I waste my time? Goodbye, Sheldon. You can find your way out"

Amy grabbed her lunch ware and stormed over to the sink but almost dropped her plate when she heard it.

"You scare me"

Amy turned around slowly. At a loss for words, she could only say "What?"

"You scare me" Sheldon's arms made a surround motion with his arms. "All this terrifies me. Sometimes it's so overwhelming that I want to regurgitate from fear. I don't know how to deal with situations like this"

"What is all this, Sheldon?" Amy stated repeating the motion with her arms. "I don't want riddles. This is me you're talking to. Just say it"

When she saw that he was searching for the right thing to say, Amy had an idea. "Let's play Counterfactuals"

"What?"

Amy walked back over to the table. "Question. In a world where Dr. Sheldon Cooper and Dr. Amy Fowler never saw each other again, could Dr. Cooper move on with his life successfully and fully?"

Sheldon remembered his grandmother's words. '_Don't over think it. You always over think. Just say what's in your heart_' He just spit out what he wanted to say. "No, Dr. Cooper could not"

"Defend"

Gathering all of his guts, he spewed his feelings. "Dr. Cooper would sad and alone. He appreciates the presence of Dr. Fowler as an intellectual equal, one who challenges him and gives him someone to have insightful conversations with"

He took a breath and then continued as he got up and slowly walked to her. "But over time, he began to see her as more. He realized she was a….vital organ in his life. Any day that he didn't speak to her was one that was very lonely, so he would read the text messages or emails from her he saved since they met."

He stood in front of her. He took her hand and held it as he looked into the green orbs that had him heart and soul. "But it's not just her mind that encourages him. It's her beauty, inside and out. She has the most stunning green eyes that a man could lost in if given a chance. She wears several layers of clothes because she is comfortable with herself, another trait that Dr. Cooper finds very attractive. However, more than once he has been curious to find out what is under the layers, even more so since Valentine's Day on the train. His imagination has taken him to places that made him very excited but also uncomfortable because he realized he was just like everyone else, needing sexual gratification and closeness to another. It terrified him because he is opening himself up to places he thought were long locked away from reach or were not part of his routine."

He squeezed her hand as he continued. "He is also not experienced in the ways of the flesh and was afraid even with the copious research he has conducted over the past several months he would fail at it….fail her, but at the same time, he can't see him ever taking that step with anyone else but Dr. Amelia Farrah Fowler"

"Sheldon, I told you about calling me Amelia. You know I am not a fan of it since my mother calls me that-"

He ignored her and continued before he lost his nerve. "He could see the two of them each winning a Nobel and someday in the future creating progeny that no other child could compare. He would only want to create these children with Dr. Fowler in the sanctity of a marital contract with frequent coitus. He knows to get to that point will take him out of his comfort zone in regards to physical contact and it will take him time, but he would do it for her…..because he wants her….and because he wants it, too. She's the only one who has ever pushed him to imagine it."

He took her other hand. "In conclusion, Dr. Cooper will do anything to keep Dr. Fowler in his life because he is in love with her"

Amy sat there in shock. _'He said it. Oh my God he said it' As_ she sat there, she realized that their future rested on how she responded. She saw the look of panic in his eyes and his skin turn pale, so she replied the only way she knew how.

"Correct"

Before she knew it, she was being picked up in Sheldon's arms as he took her in for a kiss that made her breathless. They briefly came up for air before they joined their lips together again. His tongue rubbed against her lower lip as he pushed her into the kitchen sink. When she moaned, he pulled her even tighter to him. They were so involved in themselves that they didn't hear a thing.

"Ahem"

Both jumped back startled by a fatigued Steven. "This must be Sheldon"

"Y-yes. Doctor Sheldon Cooper, this is Doctor Steven Thomas"

The other man merely nodded. Amy let go of a reluctant Sheldon to give a comforting hug to Steven. "I'm so sorry about Janis. Can I do anything?"

"I just need some quiet while I get some things together. My flight for Virginia is at 4 PM out of MBS. I could use a ride there. It was raining like hell on my way up, but it's clearing now. I don't want to leave Janis alone longer than I have to."

Amy saw the man's heart was breaking, so she stepped away. "Sure"

Turning back to Sheldon, she walked them out of the kitchen. Seeing that the sun was trying to peek out, she led them to the front door. "Come on, Sheldon. Let's go for a walk"

The couple walked out of the house and headed through the neighborhood. It was silent for a few minutes, but Amy needed to speak her mind.

"Sheldon, I love you, too, but you hurt me"

He turned and saw her holding back tears. "I know"

"Do you?"

"I-I think I do"

Amy suddenly was hit with fear and nausea as the conversation she had wanted with Sheldon pressed forward. To calm her stomach down, she stopped Sheldon in front of an elementary school and turned them until they got to a Merry Go Round. They sat down. "Before we talk about our relationship, I want you to tell me about Mee Maw. How is she doing?"

"Fine. S-she tripped on one of Noah's toys. She has Atrial Fibrillation, plus she hurt her hip and ankle, so she's going to need help for the next few weeks"

"When do you have to go back?"

"I don't know. Mee Maw yelled at me to come here. Missy is going to help Momma take care of her"

Amy saw her boyfriend's face and saw his conflict. Deciding what she was going to do, she got up. "Come on, Sheldon"

Sheldon looked at her confused. "Wh-what are you doing?"

"Simple. We are going to take a quiet walk around this beautiful neighborhood and CMU, perhaps even show you where I am currently working. Then we are going back to the house and I'm going to make arrangements. I may have to return to help Steven with his first class next week, but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

Sheldon was still confused. "But why?"

Amy turned to look at him. "Because you're going back to Texas…..and so am I"

Sheldon looked at her with such love and gratefulness. As soon as that thought came, he realized that she was sacrificing for him. "Amy I can't ask you to do that"

"Why not, Sheldon. I'm your girlfriend. I can work for CMU and be there for you and Mee Maw"

"Amy…."

She saw his hesitation and her pain returned with a vengeance. He didn't want her there. He purged himself to her and now he was realizing his mistake and was back tracking. She realized she needed to protect herself. "I should have known, Sheldon. You give me an inch, you panic and step back a foot. I'm not doing this shit with you anymore. I deserve better than this. Don't worry, Doctor Cooper, I won't be bothering you anymore"

Sheldon watched her storm off towards the house and in shock at her salty language. Realizing she was misunderstanding him, he ran after her. "Amy!"

She turned around, but continued to walk. "What Sheldon? What rationale are you going to hide behind this time? Being around my career will make you a failure?"

She tried to move faster, but his long legs caught up with her too quickly and she felt her arm getting yanked. "Let me go, Sheldon!"

"No, Doctor Fowler. If you would just stop thinking for a minute I will tell you what I was trying to say, which was this!" He took a deep breath. "I love you, Amy Farrah Fowler. Everything in me is saying I don't want to ask you to put yourself out and hope you don't bring up our relationship issues, but Mee Maw said I have to stop over thinking things. So, thank you for being there for me. When do you want to leave?"

Amy stood in silence for a moment as Sheldon's words knocked the wind out of her before remembering what they were talking about. "Well, I did get a flight out tomorrow morning. I was trying to leave on the red eye from MBS, but it rained so hard earlier that the flight was cancelled"

Sheldon stopped as he realized something. "How did you know about Mee Maw?"

"Penny texted me. You called Leonard, he told Penny, she told me"

Amy's words finally sunk in. "You were going to leave here to go to Texas to be with me?" Then he remembered something. "You were at that airport?"

"Yes, I was at that airport trying to fly out to Houston. It kept being delayed before being canceled this morning. That's why I came back here, so I could get ready and fly out tomorrow morning"

"I was there! I thought I saw you, but figured that I was imagining things since I was trying to get to the bus station. I'm sorry you were inconvenienced. But why were you coming to Texas?"

She stepped closer and caressed his cheek. "Because I love you. Careers, being right, none of that matters when the one you love needs you. It took Janis dying yesterday to see that. We have things to work out, but you also have some growing up to do first. I will help you and then you will help us"

Sheldon felt a tear fall down his cheek and he quickly wiped it away. "Okay"

The couple held hands as they walked towards Preston Street and CMU. After several minutes, Amy felt an unexplained sense of dread and nausea. Feeling uncomfortable, she managed to push those down as she began pointing out various buildings on campus to her boyfriend.


End file.
